Once upon a time
by TombRaiderNinja
Summary: In Ninjago, fascinating history is made as conflicts rise and fall. All of this attracts the attention of a certain Goddess, whose only desire is to feed upon the stories of the world. The ninja are pulled into a land of fantasy, with nothing to help them but a couple cryptic sentences. Once upon a time. . . Who knew those four little words could unleash hell itself?
1. Standstill

Chapter 1-Standstill

_Lloyd lifted his head, studying the goddess before him. Her hair was extremely long, floating peacefully around her thin, pale face. As Lloyd stepped closer, he realized that the strands of hair were made of multiple words. Each strand was a story. Everything that ever was, or would be was written there._

_There was a green glow from within his chest. Lloyd raised his sword, arms trembling. The future of Ninjago lay in his hands once again. Failing wasn't an option. But it was a very big possibility. _

"_I am Hope," He muttered, causing the green glow to cloak his body. He felt stronger. But would it be enough?_

_There was a soft red glow beside him. Lloyd couldn't help but smile. He would not be alone for this battle. _

"_I am Courage," Lloyd's friend smirked, his glow glowing stronger as he said the words._

_Maybe this battle could be won after all. Lloyd was surrounded by people he trusted._

"_I am Humility," Blue_

"_I am Kindness," Gray_

"_I am Selflessness," White_

_Lloyd felt powerful. He was equal to the goddess before him. He was a hero._

_Sudden darkness surrounded them. Was Lloyd alone once again? He could not tell. There was nothing around him. Nothing but a strong pressure that pushed the breath from his lungs._

"_I am Death," A voice snickered, sending waves of pain throughout Lloyd's head. The young boy fell to his knees. _

"_I am Everything."_

_It was as if Lloyd's mind shattered._

* * *

><p>The green ninja shot up, forehead embedded with sweat. He blinked a couple of times, trying to shake away the dream. He couldn't recall exactly what had happened, but the pounding on his head told him it hadn't been something pleasant. Looking at the window, he could see that the sun was sitting well above the horizon.<p>

A cold chill ran through him.

Why hadn't sensei come to wake them? Lloyd tried to think back to yesterday, searching for a reasonable explanation. There was none. Sensei Wu would never allow them to oversleep. The young man stood, slipping into his old green uniform. It felt better on him than his golden uniform ever had. Green _was_ the best color in the world after all.

Walking out of his room, Lloyd trotted towards the teacher's lounge, thinking that maybe the ninja were having an early meeting. That would be a good explanation to why Sensei had allowed him to oversleep. And it wasn't too improbable either; the ninja did always tend to leave Lloyd out of everything that went on.

The room was empty.

_Maybe they're asleep too _Lloyd thought to himself, but a bit of panic was now rising within him, making his heartbeat faster and his palms sweaty. He trotted back to where the rooms were. Slowly walking down the hallway to where the ninja's slept, Lloyd couldn't help but notice the eerie silence that seemed to float around the building. Shouldn't some of the students be up by now?

"Guys?" Lloyd knocked on the door, hating the fearful tone in his voice. If everything turned out to be alright, his friends would only laugh at Lloyd's paranoia. "You in there?"

Silence. Silence. Silence. Lloyd knocked more forcefully, feeling more alone than ever. What if they weren't in there? Was he. . . Alone? A knot was formed in his throat at the thought of it. If there was anything Lloyd feared more than anything, was loneliness. He'd been alone for far too long. He couldn't lose-

The door swung open, and an annoyed, wild haired Cole appeared, mouth frozen as he attempted to speak in mid-yawn. "Wha. . . What now pipsqueak? Shouldn't you be in bed? I mean if Sensei hasn't called us it has to be far too early for-"

Cole's voice stopped, as he too noticed the sun had risen. He looked at Lloyd, suddenly understanding of the panicked look that was glued to his young face. "Why didn't Sensei wake us?"

"I don't know," Lloyd shook his head. "I went to the teacher's lounge to see if he or you guys were there but. . . nothing. A-and the school is too quiet. I can't hear any of the kids. I went to school here for six years, back when it was still Darkley's. It's _never _this quiet Cole."

The leader nodded, turning back to the room, leaving the door open so that Lloyd could step inside. Cole flung his pillow at Jay, who twitched violently, snapping back to reality. The black ninja repeated the process with the others, getting a deadly growl from Kai and a calm curious look from Zane.

"Something's wrong guys," Cole explained. "Sensei didn't wake us up and the kids are awfully quiet."

"That is rather strange. . ." Zane nodded, assessing the situation and getting dressed in a matter of seconds.

Kai muttered something into his pillow, refusing to stand up. Jay shook his head, reluctantly slipping into his clothes. "Well maybe they're sleeping in. . . What's wrong with that? We should do that. . ."

"Sensei? Sleeping in? Don't make me laugh," Cole responded, pulling Kai's arm causing the red ninja to fall onto the floor. "Kai, don't make me get an ice bucket to dump on you. . ."

"I'm up I'm up jeez. . . " Kai said in a grumpy tone. "If this turns out to be nothing I call dibs on punching Lloyd."

"Hey!"

"No one is punching anyone," Cole fixed his hair as best as he could, then forced everyone to step out of the room. "Let's try to find Sensei."

The ninja searched. And searched. But each and every classroom was empty. No kids, No Sensei. By now even Kai and Jay had admitted that something was very v_ery _wrong. The silence was suffocating. And terrifying.

"Maybe Sensei _did _oversleep." Jay chuckled nervously, yearning to hear something other than silence. "We should check his room. Just in case. And the kids _have _to be in their room. I mean you can't hide that many kids in one building right guys?"

"Jay has a point," Cole said. "Sensei can't just have disappeared."

"Why didn't we just check there in the first place?" Kai groaned, still struggling to remain awake.

Lloyd led the way to the room, walking faster than the others due to the nerves that seemed to control his body. Anxiety was eating up his insides now. If Sensei was missing. . . How would they possibly know what to do?

The green ninja, knocked on his uncle's door. "Hey Uncle? You there?"

Nothing answered. Lloyd continued to knock, refusing to believe that his uncle wasn't there. Cole pushed Lloyd aside, then the ninja of earth kicked the door open. It flew off its hinges, shattering the silence. The room was filled with sunlight, illuminating the small blue teapot Sensei Wu usually carried around with him.

And before it, stood Sensei Wu himself.

But the man wasn't moving. He stood, reaching for the teapot, his blue eyes focused on the task at hand. He didn't react to the ninja, wasn't even startled by the sound the door had made. He just _stood still_.

"Sensei? C'mon quit playing." Jay frowned, feeling goosebumps traveling up his arms. The scene before him was a lot of things, but it was most definitely _not _normal.

"There appears to be something written on his skin. . ." Zane said, stepping closer towards Sensei Wu. The others did the same, looking at the letters that were imprinted upon their master's skin.

_Once upon a time, a young man named Wu was born. He was the younger sibling, and as many younger siblings before him, he weak and inadequate when in the shadow of his elder brother. The feeling of being flawed only grew stronger when he ruined his brother's life with one simple mistake. . ._

The words went on, but the ninja had seen enough. Jay ran his hands through his hair. "Okay, if this is a joke it's gone far enough. . . What the hell is going on?"

Kai frown, his eyes coated with a puzzled look. "It's . . . It's Sensei's story. . "

"Wow no kidding," An amused voice snickered from behind the ninja. "You're brilliant hair."

"And no it's not a joke," The voice continued. "This is very much real. I'm afraid Ninjago has been chosen. . . Your life stories have attracted My Lady's attention. She's going to take them all for herself. Don't worry though, you guys will be just fine. . . If you're alright with being dead that is."

The ninja turned. The owner of the voice was tall, slim, and with an amused smirk hanging from the side of his thin lips, flashing his sharp canines in the low-light. He had wild black hair, which seemed to stick out at whatever angle it pleased. His eyes were grey and wide, taking in every bit of the ninja's faces with delight.

"No we're not alright with being dead actually," Cole said, protectively stepping forward in front of his teammates. "Who are you? And what the heck are you talking about?"

"Me? I'm not very important. Not someone you should be worried about," The stranger laughed, a disturbing, crazed snicker that sent goose bumps all throughout Lloyd's skin. "Not yet. My name's Dillon. Well, it's one of my many names. But that's none of your concern is it? No no, all you really want to know is how to save your friends right Cole? Straight and to the point. I love it. I wonder what your nightmares are made of. I'm looking forward to making you suffer until the end of time."

Cole frowned, a bit of sweat damping his forehead. "How did you-"

"Know you? It's my job to know my victims Cole. And I must say I'm very good at what I do," Dillon swept his eyes through the ninja's faces, lingering slightly upon Lloyd's emerald eyes. "This is all beside the point . As I said, I'm not very important."

"Stop babbling and tell us what's going on," Kai half growled, getting annoyed at the man's attitude.

"As you wish Kai," Dillon's smirk was consistent, never fading, never faltering. "My lady is the Goddess of Stories. She travels the world, trapping the people that capture her attention. She writes their stories, and then takes their souls to the Bewitching Forest, where I can torture them as much as I please."

"The Goddess of Stories _loves _a good challenge, however. Which is why she always chooses to spare a small group of people, so they can have a shot at destroying her. No one's ever done it. But it's all very entertaining." Dillon paced around the ninja as he talked, like a vulture. "In order to defeat her, you need to travel through the Bewitching Forest, search for your own stories, until you are able to find the thing your soul truly represents. Once you find that, you can fight her. "

"Find what our souls truly represent?" Jay scratched the back of his head. "What . . . what is that supposed to mean? How can we fight some Goddess thing if we don't even have clear instructions?"

"That sounds like a personal problem. Figure out." Dillon flicked a hand towards the ninja. " I'll give each of you one clue. Check your wrists."

Jay looked down. Thick, black cursive letters were wrapped around the skin of his wrist, like a tattoo. _A great mind does not need recognition. _

Everyone else followed the blue ninja's example.

_The weak man's strength Said_ Lloyd's.

_An unyielding weapon _Wrote Kai's.

_Your life isn't your possession _Read Zane's.

And finally, Cole whispered his own phrase, "_The beauty underneath_,"

"If you're brilliant enough, You'll figure it all out. I honestly doubt it though. Either way, it'll be fun to watch all of you struggle to survive. . ." Dillon sighed, his eyes filled with joy. "Oh and I almost forgot! You've only got three weeks. After that, your stories belong to My Lady, and your souls become my new toys. . ."

After Dillon's final words, Ninjago's heroes disappeared in a flash of darkness.

* * *

><p><strong> So. . . I'm still getting ideas for Ninjago stories! I feel like maybe I should have waited until I finished one of my other fanfics but oh what the heck. I loved the idea of watching the ninja struggle in a fairy tale-ish setting. What do you guys think? <strong>


	2. Neverland

Chapter 2- Neverland

Lloyd's eyes snapped open, and he sat up, gasping for air. His head pounded violently, spreading nausea with each beat. Sweat was formed on his forehead, rolling down to stain his shirt. He felt disoriented, the world around him spinning and spinning until finally settling down into a coherent image.

He was in a small room.

The walls and floor were wooden, a bit of them wet and rotten with time. A couple of candles lay here and there, illuminating Lloyd's surroundings. The green ninja stood, walking towards the exit. Thousands of questions fell onto his lap, the missing answers causing a sharp acidic pain bubble around within his stomach.

"Lloyd?" Zane's voice reached Lloyd's ears and the green ninja turned, still trying to regain his bearings.

"Zane!" The young man smiled, the sight of a familiar face filling him with a little bit of peace. "Where are the others? Where the heck are we?"

"I do not now," The robot answered honestly, but reluctantly. "But I can guess maybe this is Bewitching Forest that the guy, Dillon?, mentioned to us. We must have been separated from the others when we landed here."

Lloyd nodded, the fractures of his memory slowly coming together. Ninjago's standstill, the strange man, the weird words on his wrist, and the new villain looming over the land. If he remembered correctly, they had no more than three weeks to defeat the so called "Goddess of stories". Or they'd be stranded in this land forever, at the mercy of Dillon's sadistic imagination.

"We need to find the others," Lloyd stated, brushing away the feelings of confusion and helplessness in order to strap on the mask of a leader. "Then we can figure out whatever _this _means."

The green ninja gestured at his wrist. _The weak man's strength. _Thanks Dillon. The words help _a lot_.

"Dillon mentioned it was a clue to the weapons we need to defeat the Goddess," Zane said, attempting to put all of the pieces together. If there was anything the nindroid hated, it was riddles with no apparent logic. "I suppose the words must lead us to whatever these so called 'weapons.' Though I must admit, They're not very. . . Logical."

"Let's find the others first then." The green ninja began walking, and the loyal nindroid followed. Although Lloyd had already served his purpose in defeating the overlord, the white ninja still felt bound to protect the youngest member of the team.

As they walked through the forest, Lloyd's memory began to nag. A strange feeling of déjà vu was floating throughout him. Yes, he had been here. Long ago, when he was no more than a toddler, his dreams had somehow encountered this place. The strange plants, the awkward creatures and the magical ambiance were very very familiar. But it made no sense did it? How could he be inside his mind?

Maybe this was all a dream. Maybe he _was_ inside his own mind. Maybe he was frozen in the land of ninjago as well, and the effort to defeat the Goddess of stories was useless.

Then it hit him. An idea so strange, so bizarre that it was not surprising his mind had ignored him at first. He _had _been within this forest before. Everyone had. At some point, everyone's childhood had revolved around this place, everyone's fantastic adventures had taken place within this place.

It was Neverland.

And why not? This was supposedly the land of stories, right? Nothing was impossible. Lloyd looked around, inspecting his surroundings with a smile plastered on his face. Maybe eternity here wouldn't be so bad. If they couldn't save Ninjago, who wouldn't want to live in a beautiful island where no one ever had to grow up?

The green ninja almost laughed out loud. No more responsibilities. No more problems. No more sleepless nights spent worrying about the future. The Goddess of Stories wasn't a curse. She was a blessing. She was allowing them to live inside a land of fantasy, of knights and dragons, of witches and wizards, in short, she was allowing them to live in the perfect world.

"Zane, I know where we are," Lloyd finally said. "We're in Neverland! You know? The land of dreams! There's so many great things to do here. There are no rules. We don't have to grow up. It can be all about fun here."

The nindroid looked down at Lloyd, suddenly reminded that the boy was just. . . a _boy_. Zane had heard of Neverland (To be honest, Zane had heard of approximately everything there was to know) and he knew it would be the perfect playground for a child.

"We must remember why we are here Lloyd," Zane stated. "We can't allow the Goddess to take ahold of us. Would you really wish to be stuck in a place where time does not move? I suppose some problems might be eliminated. But if you are reeled into the beauty, you will be denying Ninjago's people the joy of their future. I do not think you have the right to do that Lloyd. Remember who you are."

And just like that, Lloyd's hopes were shattered. All the duties of being a hero flooded back into himself, weighing his heart down, causing an annoying pain inside his chest. "Right,"

After Lloyd uttered that one wretched word, the sky darkened. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, the wind suddenly becoming agitated.

That's when another memory decided to flock back to Lloyd's mind, although it had shown up far too late to do any good. Neverland was alive, constantly responding to the thoughts of its inhabitants. When Zane's words had reached Lloyd's ears, the young man had stopped the flow of happy thoughts. This had summoned something much, much worst than his previous enemies.

Nightmares.


	3. Land of the flames

Chapter 3-Land of the flames

Jay opened his eyes, looking around the room he was in. The blue ninja was laying on his back, inside what seemed to be an abandoned shack. There were bits of sunlight trickling down from cracks on the wooden walls, but apart from that, the room was no more than a subtle darkness. He sat up slowly, a strange wave of dizziness hitting him hard. Holding his head between his now cold hands, Jay waited for the world to stop moving.

When he stood, he remembered everything. The strange man, the frozen body of his sensei, and the unhelpful clues now tattooed to his wrist. But the man had said they would be sent to some kind of magical land hadn't he? Then what was he doing in a rundown shack? The only magical thing here was the stinky air floating all around that seemed to have no real source. As he continued to study his surroundings, Jay discovered that he was not alone.

Laying on his stomach, was Kai, his eyes shut but his mouth mumbling strange sounds. The blue ninja cleared his throat, softly at first, then louder and louder. The ninja of fire did not react.

"Hey wake _up_," Jay commanded, kicking his brother-in-arms on the side.

At the impact, Kai's eyes snapped open, and he instinctively rolled away from Jay. He straightened his body, his arms raised and ready to fight, expecting another attack to occur any second. When his eyes finally focused on Jay, the red ninja growled, setting his arms down by his sides. "Really Jay?"

"Well you wouldn't wake up. And I kinda wanted to figure out where we were."

"Couldn't you figure it out on your own?" Kai rubbed his head, being hit with the same dizzying wave Jay had no more than a few minutes ago. Kai paced around the room, looking for a way out. There was none.

The two ninja weren't inside a shack. They were inside a wooden box.

Jay kicked one of the walls, aiming his impact to land near one of the cracks. Nothing happened.

"You're an idiot," Kai shook his head. "Let me show you how it's done."

Kai kicked the wall, his force much greater than what Jay's had been. The wall creaked, wood nearly giving away. Kai got ready to kick once again. Before he could, however, the box around them shuddered, the cracks on the wall suddenly regrowing to cover all open spaces. Kai and Jay were trapped in the darkness.

"Great," Jay hissed, "We're in _such _a better place than we were before."

"Shut up," Kai growled, pacing around the room. "There's gotta be a way out of this."

"Like, like how?" The blue ninja whimpered. "It'll just grow back. And then we'll just get tired and tired and-"

Kai covered Jay's mouth. "We're going to get out. Stop freaking out."

Jay breathed deeply, trying to slow down the beating of his heart. The only problem was that his mind was still rapidly shooting out different, morbid scenarios of what would happen to them in the near future. He leaned against one of the walls, coughing as the mysterious stink grew stronger.

Kai smelt it too. "What is that?"

"I don't know. It smelled like that when I woke up," Jay stated. "It wasn't me if that's what you're trying to get at."

"No it's. . ." Kai closed his eyes. "It's gasoline!"

"_What!?_" The blue ninja squealed, jumping away from the walls, wiping away his clothes in rapid panicky movements. " We have to get out we have to get out _Kai we have to get out_!"

Kai's eyes were accustomed to the darkness now. There was nothing that would be useful to him. He could now see the dark stains of gasoline upon the wooden walls. Maybe they had a purpose. Dillon _had _said that this was all a game, at least for them. They wouldn't be put in an impossible situation. There would be tools here, a way to escape. But the only thing here was the gasoline. Gasoline. . .

His hand shot to his side. Strapped there, tight against his waist, was his fire sword.

"Kai?" Jay looked at his friend, eyeing him suspiciously as he reached for the elemental sword. " Kai what are you doing?"

"I'm setting this place on fire that's what I'm doing."

"_Kai!_" Jay shouted. "What? Why? We're trapped here. We'll be burned. You can't go suicidal on me buddy."

"We're not going to die." Kai shook his head. "Don't you see? It's the only way out. They left gasoline here for a reason. I have my sword for a reason. The fire should weaken the wood enough for us to break through before it's able to grow back."

"The whole place could crash down on us! The fire could get us before we can do anything!"

"We'll have to time it just right then." Kai lighted his sword, holding it carefully in front of him.

"But… we don't know what's out there. M-maybe we're better off here?" Jay whimpered, running out of reasons as to why Kai should most definitely _not_ set them on fire. The fire ninja was stubborn though. Jay knew there was no getting an idea out of Kai's head.

"That's a stupid idea and you know it,"

Kai gently pressed his sword against the wall. In less than a few seconds, everything around them was on fire. Kai coughed, the smoke from his personal inferno clawing at his lungs. "Okay Jay, I'm a bit more flame resistant than you. I'll break through. You'll have to hold onto me."

"What? No!" Jay stepped back a little.

"Jay," Kai muttered, his patience growing thin." Hold. Me. Right. Now."

"Well when you put it like that. . ." Jay smirked, then wrapped his arms around Kai's waist.

"Okay. One. . ." Kai focused, listening to the fire, searching for the perfect moment. "Two. . ."

"Three!"

Without stopping to think more than once, Kai barreled straight through the wall, Jay's body pressing hard against his. For a neverending second, the heat was unbearable. It licked his skin roughly, sending powerful waves of pain into his brain. Everything inside him yelled _Stop! Stop! Stop!_ But Kai pushed forward.

Cool night air rewarded him.

He fell onto the ground, rolling in order to get rid of the flames that stubbornly clung onto his clothes. Kai sat up, coughing a bit, checking his skin for any permanent damage. There were a couple of burns on his arms, but nothing deep enough to risk infection. Jay was doubled over beside him, a violent coughing fit shaking his body.

"That. . . That worked. "Kai chuckled.

"Yeah. . . Yeah it did," Jay nodded . "Let's not do that ever again though,"

"Agreed,"

"So now what?" Jay looked around. A total emptiness surrounded them. There was nothing and nothing for miles. "Should we try and search for the others?"

"It's about the only thing we _can_ do." Kai agreed, slowly standing. "Which way do you want to go?"

Jay spun in place, then stopped, facing a direction east to the burning box. "That way!"

The two ninja began walking aimlessly, hoping that whatever path they'd chosen would take them the right way. The emptiness around them was silent at first, but then, small whispers began to echo from multiple directions. Jay managed to shut it out, his loud thoughts distracting him from the world. Kai's attention was instantly snared. His eyes began to shift around, looking for a source.

Nothing.

The whispering continued to get louder, until it was up to a loud mumbling. Kai turned to face Jay "You hear that?"

"Huh?" Jay shook away the voices in his mind, focusing on reality. The sound hit him instantly. "Y-yeah. What what is that?"

"I have no idea," Kai stopped walking, "Can't be good though."

"Good good good good good good good." The voices repeated. They sound close now.

Jay stopped besides Kai. "I don't like this."

"Like like like like like like like,"

A soft light began to glow around them. Soon, the two ninjas were surrounded by seven strange creatures, their bodies cloaked in mortal flames.

"What is it with this place and _fire_" Jay's voice shook, and he pressed his back against Kai's. The flame creatures formed a circle around them.

"Fire fire fire fire fire fire fire,"

The creatures began closing in.


	4. The queen

Chapter 4-The Queen

_Cole reached for the rose, the thorns ripping the tender fabric of his skin. As his blood rolled down his sunburned arm, the rose began to wilt ever so slightly. Its life and that of Cole's were connected. If Cole was harmed, the rose was doomed to die. The same would occur to Cole if the rose was torn apart._

"My lady?" Dillon's voice interrupted the Goddess's thoughts. She looked up, her hair flowing freely around her. Except for one strand. It was Cole's life.

"Yes, Dillon?"

"I must say, your story this year is quite fascinating. Tempting the young blonde hero with freedom from his responsibilities. . . Wish I'd thought of that myself." The man chuckled, running his hands through his black hair. "But I'm a bit concerned here. . . With the boring robot guy beside him, won't it be hard to. . . you know, actually distract him for his true path?"

"Indeed," The Goddess smiled. "But you know very well I have a plan."

"Of course of course," Dillon nodded over and over. "With your brilliant mind and all. . . Just just wondering here, will this plan of yours include me? Hero boy awakened the nightmares. I would really appreciate it if, I could step in, shake things up a bit, and take care of robot face? If you allow it that is."

"Go ahead," The Goddess nodded, then turned back to the story at hand. Cole's fate awaited.

* * *

><p>Cole's eyes slowly shuddered to an open. He sat up, rubbing away the dull ache on the back of his head. Cole looked around, trying to sketch a vague idea as to where he was. It seemed to be a small shack, although there wasn't a door in sight. The only light in the room was an eerie red glow, produced by a gorgeous rose planted upon the shack's corner. All around it was a plant , covered with thick thorns, protecting the fragile flower. The moment that Cole's eyes locked on the rose, he knew that he must have it. It was important, somehow. If the Dillon guy was to be believed, this place was a world of stories. Here the rules of the game were different than back at Ninjago.<p>

"And a glowing flower is _probably _ important when it comes to stories, right?" Cole's voice echoed back at himself and he shivered. He didn't like being alone very much. He hoped the others were nearby.

Cole crawled closer to the thorns. He reached forward, slowly, slowly, trying to watch all of the plant's angles at once. He lifted his arm slightly, attempting to avoid a thorn beneath, and in return three others ran through him. Cole groaned and pulled his arm back quickly, too quickly, getting even more wounds in return.

"This is a terrible idea Cole," He told himself, finding his own voice a bit more comforting than the silence. "But it's not like there's anything else here."

Cole reached for the rose, the thorns ripping the tender fabric of his skin. As his blood rolled down his sunburned arm, the rose began to wilt ever so slightly. Its life and that of Cole's were connected. If Cole was harmed, the rose was doomed to die. The same would occur to Cole if the rose was torn apart.

His fingers were a couple of inches away from the prize. The waves of pain were annoying, but Cole knew it wasn't anything serious. He bit his lip, trying to ignore the thorns and move his hand a bit further. Closer. . . closer. . .

There!

The moment Cole touched the rose, he was blinded by a potent white light. He felt lightheaded, felt as if someone was gently lifting him higher and higher into the sky. Cole held the rose tightly, knowing that if he let go something very, _very_ bad would happen. Out of the whiteness, images began to flash. They were all around him, going far too fast for him to really capture anything.

The images stopped.

He couldn't see the rose anymore. He couldn't see himself. It was as if he were a ghost, floating in the middle of a large cave. Candles upon candles were spread everywhere, lighting up everything, not allowing any darkness to form. And there, in the center of the cave, was a woman.

She was beautiful, that much was obvious. Her features were crafted with perfect symmetry, full lips, large eyes, a small thin nose. The most striking feature of all, however, was her hair. It was long, longer than anything Cole had ever seen before. It floated all around her except. . . It wasn't hair. It was . . . words. Every strand was a story, flowing gracefully until its sudden end.

The goddess's eyes locked on Cole's.

In that brief second, Cole knew he wasn't supposed to be here. Her golden eyes widened in surprise as she spotted him there, an invisible presence only her eyes could see. The surprise didn't last long. Her lips turned upward into a small, mischievous smile, a smile that nearly stopped Cole's heart.

Then he was back.

Not back in the shack, but outside, in a sweet smelling forest. The rose was on his hand again, slightly wilted, and the blood on his arm had begun to dry. Cole sat up, blinking a couple of times in order to accustom his eyes to a normal light. The black ninja looked all around him, trying to get his bearings, a task that was impossible, seeing as to how he'd never been in this place before.

Something that looked more or less like a path stood a few feet in front of him, and Cole decided that walking on actual road would be better than wondering in woods endlessly. He began to walk, holding the rose on his left, unwounded, hand. After a few minutes of disturbing silence, something finally reached Cole's ears. Footsteps.

_Lots _of footsteps.

They sounded metallic. And _loud_. But there was a definite rhythm to them. Cole stepped onto the side of the road, not wanting to be trampled by whatever was coming. Dust began to rise on the horizon, and Cole squinted, finally spotting the source of the noise. A caravan of soldiers in shinning silver armor was marching forward, surrounding a black carriage that seemed to be moving on its own, as there were no horses as far as Cole could see. Once they were close enough, Cole saw that the _soldiers _themselves were the ones pulling the carriage forward. He frowned, shaking his head at the strange cruelty whoever was in the carriage was putting these men through.

_Whoever is in there is my enemy, that's for sure _Cole thought.

"Stop," The voice came from the carriage. It was the voice of a woman, and the sound of it made Cole's heart skip a beat. She sounded powerful, confident and there was a small hint of evil amusement hidden within. All the guards stopped at once, with no hesitation.

The door to the carriage creaked open.

The woman that stepped out couldn't have been older than Cole himself. Her eyes were dark brown, and her skin was pale and smooth. Her black hair was long, nearly reaching her waist. It was thick and wavy, flowing around her like a black cloak. Cole did not notice any of this. His eyes were locked on the purple scales that covered almost all of the woman's cheeks. They resembled those of a snake. Cole stepped back, his distrust growing with each second.

"And who are you? I've never seen you here before." The woman stepped closer to Cole, her confident stride throwing off the strongest ninja. "Also, why aren't you bowing? Don't _you _know who _I_ am?"

"No I don't," Cole snapped back, regaining his composure. "And I don't care either. I wouldn't want anything to do with someone low enough to treat people like animals."

"You didn't answer my question. Who are you?"

"I'm Cole," He answered, his eyes focused on the woman's. She was nearly as tall as him, but he still had a bit of an advantage. "And you?"

"My name is Queen Nadya. I rule this place and everyone in it is _mine_. That includes you." Nadya smirked, then her eyes flickered over to the rose in Cole's hand. She snapped her fingers, and Cole's arm shot upward involuntarily, offering Nadya the rose. The Queen took it. "What's this? A rose for your lover? Well you're my prisoner now. You won't be needing it anymore."

Queen Nadya begun to crush the rose. . .


	5. The little match girl

Chapter 5- The little match girl

"Nightmares," Lloyd whispered, looking at the darkening sky.

"What?" Zane looked around, pressing his back against Lloyd's, in order to protect him at all costs. Old habits die hard.

"It's neverland Zane. Our thoughts shape it. I. . . was upset at responsibilities and. . ."Lloyd's cheek burned as he explained. Upset at responsibilities. Very mature Lloyd. "My bad thoughts woke them up. And now we're screwed."

"I would not say that." The white ninja studied the creatures flying towards them. They were dark and shapeless, blobs of shadows shooting down around them. The only feature that seemed to remain in place were their eyes. Large red pupils all directed at Lloyd and Zane. "We have defeated a god of darkness before. This should be relatively simple."

"You've obviously never had nightmares before," Zane's head snapped upward, locking into the source of the voice. It was Dillon, sliding down from one of the Nightmare's back. As Dillon trotted closer, they nightmares circled the two ninjas. "You can't simply beat them. They're always there, lurking, growing stronger while you grow weaker."

"So this is your land of stories?" Zane raised an eyebrow, his monotone features itching a bit of annoyance into Dillon's brain. "I must say, it is not as impressive as I had expected."

"It's not _mine_." Dillon scowled, his eyes flashing with a tint of jealousy as he surveyed the world around him. "But that's none of your concern, really. You should worry about the fact that _you_ are mine. I've never had a robot before. This is kind of exciting."

"I am my own person," Zane stated plainly, still standing over Lloyd. "You have no authority over me. Now please, escort your nightmares away. Or I will be forced to destroy them."

"Oh!" Dillon clapped, an amused chuckle escaping him. He stepped back, walking out of the tight circles the nightmares had created. "Please. Go ahead."

In a second, Zane and Lloyd were engulfed in darkness. Lloyd raised his arms, attempting to protect himself from the random attacks. He felt his body being thrown about, but in the sea of shadows he wasn't able to tell what was actually happening. Up and down. Left and right. Those words were useless now. Lloyd couldn't even feel the ground beneath his feet. All his body was aware of was pain. Sharp, dull, quick, slowed. . . It was all there. All happening. All at the same time. And as the fear inside Lloyd grew, so did the nightmares. It was a neverending cycle.

He felt something being ripped from him. He couldn't know what it was, couldn't see, but it felt important. Pain pulsed in his head violently. He became nauseous and he stopped trying to lash out at the nightmares. He was only making it worst. He needed to keep calm.

Easier said than done.

"Lloyd! You need to-" Zane's voice was cut off. It was sudden and abrupt, as if someone had shut down his power. None of this helped him with his plan to erase the panic. Dillon's laughter echoed into Lloyd's ears from the nightmare's bodies, but the young man couldn't see a thing.

"You need to _enjoy_ yourself Lloyd," Lloyd could almost hear the smirk on Dillon's face. "It's neverland. This world is yours. Right after you deal with your little problem of course."

Lloyd felt alone. Somehow, somehow he knew Dillon had taken Zane. The green ninja's heart rate accelerated. He felt pressure on his head, squeezing, and squeezing, and Lloyd knew he was about to lose consciousness. That would be alright. Without a source of fear, the nightmares would eventually wither.

As Lloyd began to slip away, something cut through the dark. It was a light. Warm. Flickering. It embraced him, pulling into a cocoon of safety. Lloyd's lips quivered into what almost seemed like a smile. Then millions and millions of black dots overtook his vision.

When Lloyd's mind returned to itself, he was somewhere else entirely. Groaning, fearing how much time he'd been gone, Lloyd sat up fighting the instant wave of nausea. He was inside a small room, small candles spread throughout. A sense of déjà vu hit him. This was almost like the room he'd woken up the first time. But something here was different.

_Well, first of all there's actually a bed here_ Lloyd thought to himself, enjoy the soft material beneath him. It soothed his sore muscles, and made him not want to get up. But he had to figure things out. Like. . .

Lloyd frowned. He _had_ something to do, right? He wasn't very sure. But there was a foreboding feeling sitting uncomfortably on the back of his mind, telling him over and over that he was forgetting something. Or everything.

He wasn't able to figure anything out, because at that moment a young girl walked through the open door. She was small, her height far lower than Lloyd's. A brown cloak was wrapped around her, under it, she wore a loose black shirt and pants, held up by an awkwardly tied rope. Lloyd could tell she had been here far longer than he had. She was barefooted, and most of her skin seemed to have been darkened by dirt. Her hair was long and wild, tangles here and there making it stand up at awkward angles. Her eyes were what captured Lloyd though. They were a beautiful shade of purple.

When the girl saw Lloyd was awake, She blushed furiously. Surprisingly, Lloyd's cheeks lit up as well. The green ninja shook his head, trying to focus. "Hey, What. . . What happened? I remember nightmares catching up with me and-"

The light. The light that had saved him. It was just like. . .

"Those candles. . ." Lloyd stood, looking down at the girl before him. "Did you save me?"

She smiled. A bright, innocent, proud smile. Then her head moved up and down, nodding.

"Thanks. . ." Something is missing Lloyd. Something important. What is it? "What's your name?"

The girl frowned, looking a bit conflicted. Her eyes scanned the room. She began ruffling through her belongings, throwing them every which way. She stood, a piece of charcoal in her hand. Running up to one of the wooden walls, she began to write something. Lloyd watched, a confused look on his face. He had only asked for her name.

The girl stepped away from the wall. She'd written a name. _Naomi_.

"That's your name? Why'd you-" Oh. " You can't speak?"

She shook her head, a sad expression embedded on her eyes.

"Oh," Lloyd cleared his throat. "Well it's a pretty name."

Naomi smiled. She stepped closer to Lloyd, then her eyes widened. She was looking down. Lloyd followed her gaze. He saw nothing at all.

"What?" Lloyd looked at Naomi, there was a frightened look in her purple eyes now. "What's wrong?"

She pointed at the ground beside him. Lloyd looked again. Nothing. What was-

Oh.

Lloyd's shadow was missing.


	6. Tick tock the clock goes tick tock

**(Hello guys! Random note here, as I forgot to mention this at the beginning of the story. This fanfic is a present for my very coo friend KaitouKiwi. Thanks for being awesome! Now. . . I'll stop talking. Enjoy guys :D)**

Chapter 6-Tick tock, the clock goes, tick tock

The creatures all reached forward in unison, burning through Kai and Jay's clothing easily. Both of the ninja rolled away, receiving more burns as they were forced to crash right through the creatures themselves. They all turned to look at the two men, tilting their head in confusion. They reached forward for them again, disappearing from sight only to reappear closer to the ninja's bodies.

"What the heck _are_ these things?" Jay shouted, stumbling forward upon the warm sand, his feet slipping from time to time causing him to face plant onto the ground. Kai was slightly ahead of him, his running a bit more balanced than that of the ninja of lightning.

"How about we get away first _then_ worry about them?" Kai suggested, pulling Jay back up by the back of his shirt. The two of them continued to run, but the creatures were always there, materializing one step ahead of them.

"I'm just saying. I want to know what they are. I mean they're pretty cool if they aren't trying to kill you. Could you imagine having one as a pet?"

"Jay!" Kai hissed. "If we make it out of this, I _will_ smack you."

The ninja of lightning chuckled, trying to run faster. But they couldn't run forever. The desert around them was endless, and the creatures did not seem to be fading away. They had to find another way out of this and _fast_. Jay began to analyze multiple scenarios in his head. Just like when they were trapped in the box, this was a game. There had to be a way out. Something crazy, something they'd never think of back in their world.

_Think Jay think _He told himself _Rules are different and blah blah blah_

He stopped running. Looked down at his skin. The burns, the burns that had stung so much as he rolled through the creatures, weren't there. They weren't. . . They weren't real.

"What are you doing!?" Kai stopped running, looking back at his partner. "Don't stop _now_."

"But look!" Jay held up his arm, showing his bare skin to the ninja of fire. Kai shook his head, not understanding. "The burns. They're not real. These things aren't real."

"Maybe not but they still hurt like-"

"You almost set us on fire back then. You better trust me on this one." Jay stated, walking closer to Kai as the fiery creatures surrounded them once again. "They're not going to go away unless we let them touch us. And their burns don't really harm us. What do we have to lose?"

"Jay. . ." Kai sighed, looking at Jay with a cross of fear and anger. " You better hope this works or I'll-"

"You'll smack me I know I know," Jay shrugged. "It'll work! You'll see!"

The ninja of fire closed his eyes, trying to ignore the increasing heat around him. The creatures were close now, he could feel them. Could imagine the reaching out for him. Sharp strikes of pain stung him, and he groaned, feeling the fire stroke his skin.

"Tick tock tick tock," The creatures began to mutter, their voices rapid and high pitched, blending blending with each other until it was only one loud voice. "Tick tock tick tock."

Then silence.

Kai slowly opened his eyes. There was nothing around him. Not darkness, because Jay's body was still easily visible beside him, but . . . nothing. The ninja of fire glued his eyes onto Jay's, as looking at the emptiness was painful. It was hard to describe, but it gave him the sensation of being blind. By the look on Jay's face, the emptiness had the same effect on the ninja of lightning.

"You killed us didn't you?" Kai crossed his arms. "Let the fiery creatures of death touch us. . . _why_ do I listen to you?"

"I didn't _kill_ us," Jay looked around, quickly regretting his decision and facing Kai once again. "I just-"

Jay's voice was cut off as whatever was beneath their feet disappeared. Their bodies didn't plummet down, however. They began to float downwards slowly, As if an invisible parachute had been attached to both of their bodies. The strange emptiness was still there, all around, but there were other things now.

Large clocks floated down alongside them. A rose began to whiter as it fell by their side. They passed by gigantic puzzle pieces and miniature buildings. As more random objects began to appear the emptiness began to clear away. They were floating down towards a large room. Jay swiveled around in the air trying to take it all in. A childish smile was plastered on his face throughout the whole journey.

Gently, they landed on the cold marble floor. Jay looked up, but the hole, or whatever they had fallen through, was gone. He smirked, as if he'd known such a thing would happen. " This place is _great!"_

Kai shook his head, straightening out his red suit. "Great? We're in god knows where, stuck without the others, and you think it's great?"

"Oh c'mon, don't tell me you don't know where we are!" Jay gasped, his eyes wide. "Were bedtime stories not a thing for you as a kid?"

"Just cut to the chase," Kai shook his head. "You know where we are?"

"Duh," Jay muttered, chuckling. "We're in wonderland!"


	7. The rose

Chapter 7- The rose

Cole fell to his knees, the air roughly forced out of his body. As the queen squeezed the petals, he felt a pressure growing around his body, pressing harder and harder. Any time now, all of his ribs would snap, and his punctured lungs would drag him down into the neverending darkness of death. If he could, Cole would have laughed. One of the heroic ninjas that had saved the city of Ninjago on more than one occasion, defeated by an enchanted rose. Life really did know how to write a good twist.

Suddenly, the pressure stopped.

The black ninja gasped for air, but got onto his feet as quickly as he could. Every part of his body was shaking, yet Cole was determined not to show any weakness. Not in front of this woman. Something told him that would be one of the worst mistakes he could make. And in a world where all of the rules were different, all Cole could do was trust his gut.

"So. . . this rose." Nadya's smirk was gone. For a brief second, Cole saw fear and confusion coating her dark brown eyes. Then it was gone. "It's connected to you? I must say that's pretty handy. You'll be easier to control than I thought."

"Don't get your hopes up," Cole scowled. "I'm not going to allow you to push me around. I can take a lot of punishment. You can't break me."

"Is that a challenge?" Once again the queen smiled, the purple scales cloaking her cheeks glinting in the soft sunlight. "I love challenges."

_Then you're going to love me sweetheart_ Cole thought sarcastically, but his mouth wouldn't form the words. It was probably for the best anyway. No need for him to get punished for not knowing when to shut up.

"We're taking him to the castle." Nadya stated. Two of the guards let go of the carriage, grabbing Cole roughly by his muscled arms. The silver metal dug into his sides, but the black ninja refused to complain. If she wanted a challenge, she was going to get one.

The queen stepped back into her carriage, now being carried by four men instead of six. They seemed unaffected by this, lifting the carriage effortlessly, without so much as grunt of exertion. Inside the carriage, the queen whipped out a small silver mirror. Green sparks swam through it, distorting Nadya's reflection.

"Show me the prophecy." Now that she was alone, her voice sounded different. It was softer, younger. Not a feared ruler, but a frightened girl.

Once again, sparks filled the mirror. Then the image of the rose, Cole's rose, which sat on the seat beside her, appeared. "_One man, one rose. Both tied up through the law of blood."_

In a blur of colors, the image changed. And image of Nadya herself, her brown eyes brightened with tears, the scales upon her cheeks dripping with blood, as if she had clawed at them, wishing to rip them out of her skin. "_One woman, One curse. Both tied up through the law of souls."_

The imaged changed again. This time, a whirlwind of rain flickered to life inside the glass. Lightning flash, and dim figures could be seen shaded against the background. As always, it was too dark to see clearly. Nadya frowned, nearly pressing her face against the mirror, wanting to unravel every clue it left behind. "_One will break the other's curse."_

Sparks lit up the image, erasing it and replacing it by something else. It was a cave, lighted with candles. Nadya focused, but nothing knew jumped out at her. "_One will wash the other's sight."_

The queen sighed, leaning back against the seat as the last image appeared. A gentle green light, illuminating a world of darkness. "_One woman, One man. Both tied up by his bloody knife._"

Nadya analyzed the words, trying to find answers. There was nothing. The only thing she knew, was that the man, Cole, was important. If she was hearing the prophecy right, he'd be the one to break her curse, ridding her of the unappealing scales that rested on her otherwise soft skin.

Nadya didn't like the idea of her fate being entwined with someone else's. But as long as she gained the one thing she wanted the most, she could care less about how destiny worked. One thing was certain, However.

When Cole served his purpose, there would be no reason to keep him alive.

* * *

><p>The march to the castle was tiring, and by the time they stumbled through the gates, Cole's feet had swollen twice their normal size. His mind was now on autopilot, blank, each limb moving automatically. They marched past the gates, then stopped before the castle's large doors. Cole blinked a couple of times, returning to reality. He tried to stretch his tightened muscles, but the guards were holding him far too tightly. So the black ninja bit his tongue, not wanting to be Nadya the satisfaction of seeing him in pain.<p>

She stepped out of the carriage, then nodded at the guards holding Cole, signaling for them to follow her. They did, never pausing, not even when Cole's legs gave out in the middle of the stone staircase. Once they got through the doors, they let go of Cole, and the ninja crumpled onto the floor. All of his strength had gone out.

The guards marched outside again, closing the door behind them. Nayda mumbled something under her breath, then pressed her cold index finger against Cole's forehead. The ninja flinched, a strange feeling coursing through his body. The queen smiled. " There we go. You're truly my prisoner now."

"Don't get your hopes up. You're going to have to chain me down if you really think I'll listen to you. You don't have your little guards anymore." Cole struggled to get to his feet, then walked towards the door. "I'm leaving. I'd love to try to see you try and stop me."

Cole pushed open the door. Nadya didn't move.

"Close the door," She ordered. "And step back in."

Cole couldn't help it. His arm moved without permission, shutting the door in front of him. He stepped back to where he had been a few seconds ago. Looked down at the queen, confusion fear and anger swirling through his grey eyes. It was just like dealing with the Hypnobrai all over again. Will stripped from his body, forcing him to do things he'd rather not. It was nauseating. But at least his thoughts were still his.

"I'd think twice about trying to disobey me," Nadya smirked, turning away. "I'm more powerful than you think. And I've still got plenty of tricks up my sleeve. Now follow me."

"Fine," Cole hissed, following reluctantly, his muscles moving despite his brain's orders. "You can control me with whatever mumbo jumbo magic you have. But why? If you're all high and mighty, why not just kill me?"

The queen was silent for a couple of seconds, calculating what her answer should be. She couldn't give anything away. Couldn't admit that she needed him for whatever plans destiny had in store. That would make her vulnerable. She couldn't have that. "You're in no position to question my motives."

Cole rolled his eyes. The little queen was getting on his nerves. "Gee, really? I hadn't noticed."

The halls seem neverending. Dark red carpet covered most of the floor, strange stains splattered here and there. Torches flickered here and there, giving the castle and uncomfortable amount of darkness. The place was spooky. And empty.

"So you live here alone?" Cole ventured, trying to accumulate as much information as he could.

Nadya stayed quiet.

"Are you going to answer _any_ of my questions?"

Nothing.

Cole sighed, peeking out of a window. For a brief second, he could see the outside world. A large forest, spreading through must of the land. A couple of a villages could be seen, spread in random places. As his footsteps carried him away, Cole was banned from the outside world once again.

The queen finally stopped, pushing a creaky door open. Inside it was a small room, with a wooden bed filled with straw and a small candle pathetically trying to light its surroundings. Nadya turned back to face Cole. "This is your room. You'll stay here, unless I tell you otherwise. Understood?"

The magic forced Cole to step forward. He looked back at Nadya, slightly annoyed. "Yeah yeah."

"Good," With one last smile, the queen slammed the door shut.


	8. A pirate's worst enemy

**(Hey guys! My apologies, but last week was my exam week and I was stressing a little bit, so I couldn't update. Plus, an annoying headache had started to sneak up on me that night so. . . Sorry. Hope you enjoy!)**

Chapter 8-A pirate's worst enemy

"My shadow. . ." Lloyd muttered, still trying to figure out what it meant for him to have lost such a strange thing. He didn't really feel any different. If anything, he felt a little lighter. He felt as if he could easily float upwards now, maybe even nonchalantly glide past the island's birds as they flew through the air. The green ninja almost chuckled at the thought. "Is that bad? I don't really feel bad. I mean, it's just a shadow. How much harm can it do to not have one?"

Naomi bit her lip, not knowing how she could explain herself. Without a voice, communicating with the green eyed boy was going to be very, very difficult.

"Right, you can't talk." Lloyd sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Well, whatever this means for me, I'm sure it's fine. What we really need to do is go rescue Zane. He'll know what to do. It seems like he knows pretty much everything sometimes."

"I don't really know where he could be though. Do you know a guy named Dillon?"

Eyes widening ever so slightly, Naomi nodded. Yes, she knew who Dillon was. She knew all too well. Absent mindedly the girl stroked the soft skin upon her throat.

"Do you know where I could find him?"

Once again Naomi nodded. There was a part of the sea filled with wrecked ships, and Dillon had grown a soft spot for the place. If he wasn't out ruining someone else's life, the man would most likely be found there. And if he had a prisoner, Dillon would have _definitely_ brought him there.

"Great," Lloyd nodded, walking towards the exit. "Let's go then!"

After a few steps, the green eyed boy stopped, swiveling back around to face the voiceless girl. He chuckled softly, a bit of red tainting his cheeks. "You should probably go first. . . I don't exactly know this place or anything."

Not wanting to nod _yet_ again, Naomi walked forward, stepping out of her small hiding spot. She tightened her dirty cloak around herself, enjoying the fake sense of safety it brought her. Her bare feet traveled swiftly through the jungle floor, while Lloyd trudged forward behind her, tripping over roots more often than not. Within a couple of seconds, the green ninja was coated in mud from head to toe.

"Wait," Lloyd whimpered, trying to catch up after he'd stumbled onto the ground. He wiped away as much mud as he could, ignoring the annoying throbbing that was pulsing on the back of his legs. "Wait you're going way too fast."

Naomi stopped, leaning against a large tree. Her lips curled up into a smirk as she watched Lloyd struggle to catch up with her.

"Yeah yeah yeah," Lloyd muttered. "I look ridiculous I know. But you've spent ages in this place. I haven't. You can't blame me for not being as good as you at this."

_Tick, tock, tick, tock_

"Did you hear that?" Lloyd frowned, a strange ticking sound reaching his ears. It traveled rhythmically around them, never missing a beat. Goosebumps were raised across Lloyd's arm as his green eyes connected with Naomi's. Her purple eyes were drowning in panic. That certainly couldn't be good.

Naomi tried to follow the sound, knowing exactly what it meant. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been chased by the gigantic crocodile that roamed through the island.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock_

It sounded close. Way way too close. But where- Naomi jumped back, moving away from the tree she'd been leaning against. Except it wasn't a tree. Naomi grabbed Lloyd's hand, pulling him back slowly, watching the green-scaled figure before her. Lloyd watched the figure too, his heart beating with a loud and painful rhythm against his chest. Lloyd's eyes studied the large animal, feeling worst and worst as he realized it could easily swallow them both with one bite.

"It hasn't seen us right?" Lloyd whispered, turning towards Naomi. The girl gave him an angered look, pressing her index finger against her small lips. Lloyd nodded, then bit his lip to hold back the small 'sorry' that was threatening to spill out.

_Crack!_

Naomi and Lloyd both froze. The green eyed boy looked down at his shoes. A small twig had cracked beneath his weight. The sound hadn't been _too_ loud, but in the utter silence, it seemed louder than a gunshot.

The crocodile seemed to agree.

Its crimson eyes snapped open, revealing large, blood thirsty circles. Both of its eyes locked onto Naomi and Lloyd's body, tail swishing back and forth, knocking trees aside effortlessly. For a moment, nothing happened. The kids and the crocodile stare at each other intently, waiting for the other to move.

"Run!" Lloyd snapped, not wanting to stand close to the creature any longer than he had to. He turned around, pulling Naomi alongside him.

The crocodile growled, lunging forward for his well deserved treat.

* * *

><p>"Look! Oh this is just perfect!" Dillon laughed, reaching into a creaky wardrobe to pull out a large red hat. A fluffy feather hung to the top of it, and Dillon laughed again as he slipped it on. "Now I can be a captain! A merciless pirate captain, roaming the sees and murdering anyone who tries to get in my way! But of course I'll need a crew. . ."<p>

Dillon walked forward, admiring his reflection. He then turned towards Zane, whose body had been chained to the cabin's wooden wall. "I don't suppose you'd want to be part of it? Guess not. My little mission will be to play around with the boy's life. I don't think you'd like that much. But if you ever want to betray him, don't hesitate to tell me. I love those kinds of things. Friends spilling each other's blood. . ."

Zane struggled against the chains that held him back, feeling far too helpless for his liking. He was one of the best warriors in the land of Ninjago, and yet he had been rendered useless by a crazed man playing pretend. The nindroid shook his head, knowing his efforts were wasted. The chain was not going to give away.

"I will never betray Lloyd," Zane said, "And if you do decide to toy with him, I'm sure he will have no problem destroying you. With golden and elemental powers on his side, he could destroy you with a wave of his hand."

"Oh really?" Dillon raised one of his eyebrows, smirking at Zane's confident attitude. The grey eyed man slipped into a blood red coat, strapping a rusting sword to his side. "It might actually be interesting to fight him then. But there's something you've got to remember my robotic friend."

Zane stayed quiet, watching Dillon as he stepped closer and closer.

The grey eyed man smiled widely, both of his fangs showing at the edges of his lips. "Your friend might be powerful, but power is useless against death."

* * *

><p>Lloyd and Naomi ran through the jungle, the crocodile close to their heels. The obstacles that prevented them from moving faster were no problem for the animal, as it could easily get rid of anything in its way with a swipe of its paw.<p>

"It's getting close, way too close." Lloyd shook his head, trying his best to keep up with Naomi. The girl's small frame allowed her body to move swiftly through the thick jungle, and her familiarity with it helped her move even faster. The green ninja on the other hand, stumbled forward clumsily, tripping over more roots than he could count.

Having to use his feet was such a hassle.

After Lloyd stumbled onto the mud again, Naomi skidded to a stop, pulling the boy roughly back to his feet. The green ninja looked up at her, opening his mouth to babble his thanks. The panic in the girl's eyes stopped him however, and he decided to save his breath for now. Lloyd continued to run, until finally, _finally_, they arrived at the end of the jungle.

Unfortunately, they'd also arrived at the edge of a cliff.

Nausea overtook Lloyd as he looked over the edge. Below them, far _far_ below them, water awaited. He turned to look at Naomi, who had determined look on her bright eyes. Lloyd shook his head rapidly. "Oh no. No. You can't be thinking of jumping. Jumping from this hard would hurt like. . . and there's rocks. We wouldn't want to be landing on those."

Naomi looked back, where the crocodile was rapidly approaching. She pointed at it, then at the water.

_Be eaten or jump_.

The girl shrugged, taking a few steps back then jumping right of the edge. Lloyd's mouth fell open, and he turned to the gigantic animal, its teeth snapping, his pace slowing as it realized his prey had nowhere to go. Lloyd closed his eyes. "I must be crazy."

He jumped.


	9. Into the forest

Chapter 9-Into the forest

"Wonderland," Kai repeated, looking around the large hall. A small part of his memory vaguely remembered bits and pieces of the story, but not enough to paint a picture that would help guide them out of this place. He would have to trust Jay's judgment, for now. The ninja of fire shuddered at the possibilities. Jay was taking everything far too lightly. It was as if he'd forgotten why they were here in the first place.

"Yes," Jay nodded enthusiastically, then ran further down the hall. Kai was forced to follow, and soon they reached a circular room packed with doors. Each was a bit different than the last, different materials, some keyholes large and others smaller than Jay's pinkie. The ninja of lightning went all around the room, trying to open every one of them. It was useless, as they all seemed to be locked tightly. "They're all locked. Thought so."

"So we're trapped?" Kai groaned.

"Not necessarily," Jay chuckled, walking to the center of the room. A few seconds ago, there had been nothing, but now, a small three legged table stood, and on top of it rested a small bottle. A tag was tied around it, and the words _Drink Me_ were written on it with black ink. Jay opened the bottle, but hesitated before pressing it to his lips. "Ha! I nearly forgot,"

The blue ninja grabbed a miniature golden key, holding it in his fist with a tight grip. As Jay began to tip the contents of the bottle into his mouth, Kai grabbed his arm, stopping him. "You don't know what that is. What if it's poison?"

"Does it _say_ poison? No it says 'Drink Me'" Jay rolled his eyes, trying to free his arm from Kai's grip.

"You can't really be that gullible can you?" Kai hissed, easily keeping Jay from drinking the bottle. "Just because it's not telling you it's poison doesn't mean it's safe to drink it."

"Kai, Kai, Kai," Jay shook his head each time he muttered his comrade's name. "If we're ever going to get through this, you're going to have to trust me eventually. I know how this story works. So now, you can either follow me, or wander around in wonderland forever. Your call."

Kai shook his head, knowing he was going to regret his decision to trust Jay with leadership. Reluctantly, the ninja of fire let go of Jay's arm, allowing him to take a small sip from the mysterious bottle. Jay then handed it to Kai. "Now you drink it,"

"It's one thing to let you kill yourself, but I'm not doing anything until you explain to me what this is."

"Okay okay, Jeez. . . You're a real baby you know that? If you'd been left here alone, you would probably end up starving to death or something. You need to learn to trust things. You're in a fairy tale. Why don't you try being a kid and open your mind a bit?" At the annoyed look in Kai's eyes, Jay continued. "There's a door here, a small door, which this little key opens. Problem is, your big head won't fit through it. So you drink the thing, your body gets tiny, and ta-da! We're through."

"Jay," Kai muttered through gritted teeth, staring at the bottle with deep mistrust. "I'm going to trust you. But if you don't get us out of here. . . You don't want to know what'll happen to you."

"Right keep threatening me." Jay shrugged. "As if I'm not used to it. Just drink the thing will you? Stop being such a baby about everything."

Kai closed his eyes, drinking what was left in the bottle and regretting it instantly. It burned as it traveled down his throat, and it spread a crumbling sensation around every inch of his body. He couldn't see Jay anymore. Kai closed his eyes again, trying to get rid of the dizzying feeling that had begun to make his head heavy. Once the feeling stopped, Kai risked a quick peek. Jay was in front of him again, but the room had gotten a hundred times bigger.

The drink had worked just as Jay said it would. Maybe it was about time Kai stopped fighting the new rules.

"Okay now what?"

"Now, we go into the _real_ wonderland," Jay smiled, his eyes still drowning in amazement. He ran forward, stopping in front of a large red curtain. With a bit of difficulty, the blue ninja pushed it aside in order to reveal yet another door. He then pulled out the small key, unlocking the door, and pressing the weight of his body onto it in order to swing it open.

"The real wonderland? Jay we're supposed to be searching for a way out of this place not-" Kai froze, his words getting stuck to his throat. Before him, was a large, seemingly neverending forest. But it didn't look like something that would come out of a children's fairy tale. It was dark, a sense of decay floating around it, sending goosebumps up both of the ninja's arms.

"Something. . ." Jay frowned. "Something isn't right."

"I could figure that one out on my own," Kai replied, beginning to walk towards the forest. Dead leaves cracked beneath his weight, and a soft whispering seemed to follow them as they went deeper inside the forest. Kai began to regret each step he had taken, and turned back to face Jay. "Maybe we should find a way around this place. "

"I agree," Jay nodded, then turned, and turned, and turned again. He frowned, trying to find his own footsteps to find the path they had used to travel inside the forest. There was nothing. Nothing but menacing and decaying plants. It was as if the forest had grown around them, blocking them from the exit. "But. . . which way is out?"

"Oh great, This is what happens when I trust you." Kai shook his head, pushing Jay aside trying to find their path. Nothing. The former blacksmith growled something under his breath.

"Well all we can really do now is go forward isn't it?" Jay stated, staying close to Kai, as he was the only one with a weapon. A faint sound of singing reached the ninja's ears, luring them forward, tempting them to go deeper into the darkness. Jay moved a couple of steps forward, before being held back by Kai's hand on his shoulder. "Oh c'mon Kai. We can't just stay standing here. We'll have to move eventually. I mean I guess we _could_ stand here, but then we'd probably just starve. And that would be pretty useless."

"It's just obviously a trap." He shook his head. "A voice like that doesn't belong in a forest like _this_."

"Well yeah I know," Jay rolled his eyes. "But what else do we have to lose really? We either play by the rules of the story, or we stay stuck here forever. And it's just _singing_. I doubt something as silly as a song could get us killed."

Kai sighed, releasing Jay and walking forward alongside him. They followed the sound of music, eventually reaching a small clearing. In the middle of it, a small rose sat, its petals swaying in the soft wind. Each time one of its pink petals shuddered, a new musical note emerged. Jay dropped onto his belly, crawling closer to the singing flower.

"That's so cool. How great would it be if I got this for Nya?" With a goofy smile, Jay reached forward, stroking the flower's soft petals.

"Don't touch-" Kai began to shout but was interrupted as a thick green vine lashed out at him and Jay, sending them both flying back against the trunk of a tree. The small flower was now gone, replaced by a massive plant with vines cloaked in thorns and an enormous gaping mouth. Without hesitation, Kai rolled forward, unsheathing his elemental sword.

"You can't use fire Kai!" Jay stumbled onto his feet. "You wouldn't be able to control it. You could set the whole forest on fire!"

Kai growled, putting up his sword and rolling away from another attack. "_Then what do you suggest?_"

"We run?" Jay questioned with a small frightened smile. Seeing no other way out, Kai shrugged, then nodded, turning around in order to run deeper into the forest. Something wrapped around his body, a tight hold lifting him upwards. Looking down, he saw the plant's vine, its thorns digging into his soft skin. Kai growled, kicking his feet.

"Running. Isn't. Working." Jay shouted, moving his legs helplessly in the air as the plant lifted him as well. The ninja of fire turned away from his comrade and faced the widening mouth of the green creature drawing closer and closer. Kai continued to struggle, trying his best to break free, but there was one indisputable fact imprinted on his mind.

There was nothing he could do.


End file.
